03/07/08 Petite Sirah

Welcome to vine to wine this is your host Linda Moran Petite Sirah  is Petite Sirah like Syrah only smaller? Join me today as we explore this unique wine. That robust earthy wine from California is a wine with many enthusiastic fans. However, the mysterious origins of Petite Sirah have finally been determined. A UC Davis professor by the name of Carole Meredith found that it is the same as a grape named Durif, a propogation developed by Dr. Francois Durif to resist mildew. The parents of this grape are in fact Peloursin and Syrah  however, the fruit produced by the Petite Sirah is distinctly different from its parentage and should not be confused with Syrah. Although in California it seems the grape has taken on much more of a personality than the Durif of France. Petite Sirah has been an important blending grape with Zinfandel as it adds complexity to the wine. Alone it can be quite agreeable and often delicious. Add to that its ability to age quite a long while and you have a desirable wine. There are less than 100 wineries making Petite Sirah in California and many of them will spell the name differently creating ongoing confusion for those of us trying to buy it . None the less - you will most likely find them to be very agreeable slightly earthy wines of deep color and rich tannins some with a slight touch of black pepper. Try expanding your red wine appetite and search out a few great Petite Sirahs. And thanks for joining me on today's Vine to Wine.